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wild at heart
70 people were injured while filming this movie with 100 untamed lions
A family moved in with the massive pride of lions to film what has been called “the most dangerous movie ever made”.
WARNING: The video below contains blood and gore.
NOEL MARSHALL, TIPPI Hedren, and their family lived with 140 untrained animals, including 100 untamed lions, in what is called “the most dangerous movie ever made”. The idea for “Roar” was conceived after the couple toured several safari wildlife preserves and were struck by the scene of an abandoned plantation house overrun by lions.
The entire Marshall family moved along with their pride of 100 lions to a ranch property 40 miles north of Los Angeles and began shooting. They were forced to film documentary style after they realised that they could rarely get through a scene without the lions attacking.
Drafthouse Films / Vimeo
The cast suffered serious injuries over the 11 years the movie was filmed. Tippi Hedren endured a fractured leg and deep scalp wounds. Noel Marshall was gored so many times that he was eventually hospitalised with gangrene.
Their daughter, Melanie Griffith, was mauled by a lion, resulting in over 100 stitches and reconstructive surgery. Her real-life mauling is on display in the final cut of the film.
The film was originally released in 1981 but is being released again in cinemas in April – just not in Ireland unfortunately. It will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand platforms later this summer.
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